Because Debleena and I were both pretty familiar with Florence, we didn’t do a ton of sight-seeing during our three days here (or any at all, to be honest). Mostly, we walked around, sat in piazzas drinking wine and talking about life goals and/or Taylor Swift, and ate like kings. On to the recommendations:
I Due Fratellini
This tiny, unassuming stall is tucked away on one of the mini-streets between the Duomo and the Piazza de la Repubblica in the center of Florence. It’s easy to miss, except that there’s always a crowd in front of it, wolfing down their freshly made sandwiches before a even a crumb can fall on the cobblestones.
The sandwiches, which are all 3 euro (aka the best deal we had on our trip, even better than the 9 euro pizza at Dar Poeta), feature cold cuts, cheeses or even chunks of warm porchetta, piled high in between halves of a pillowy roll. The porchetta was great, but go for the salami picante with goat cheese. BOMB. (One note: They’re best eaten immediately — we took a few “to go” for our train ride back to Rome, and the bread had hardened a bit in the half hour from stall to mouth. Though that didn’t stop us from scarfing them down in 0.2 seconds, in case you were wondering.)
Ristorante La Giostra
The second-best meal we had on our trip was at this extremely romantic restaurant slightly east of the center of the city (twinkling lights are everyone’s best lighting). Debleena and I were the only non-couple in the house, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the free(!!) glasses of prosecco and antipasti plate that greet you on arrival.
Florence is known for its meat, so I ordered the tagliata de Chianina Normanna, a fancy Italian way of saying filet mignon topped with deliciously thick, syrupy aged balsamic. It was delicious, and I’d highly recommend ordering some sort of steak at this restaurant. It also booked up pretty quickly, so make a reservation — you can do that on their website.
Castello di Verrazzano / Spumantino
If you have the time for a half- (or full) day trip, Tuscany’s wineries, olive groves, farms and villas are a short drive outside of Florence, and easily accessible by public transportation. We hopped on a bus to Greve en Chianti to visit the Castello di Verrazzanno winery, which has produced wine since the 1100s (yes, they’re the same Verrazzanos as that big old NYC bridge). We took an hour-long tour of the winery, then tasted 4-5 wines along with lunch, which featured locally made meats, including a spicy, zesty, lemony salami made from the wild boars that roam the countryside.
In case you don’t have the time to visit the winery, Verrazzanno also owns a wine bar in Florence, Spumantino, right near the Ponte Vecchio. We had a glass of wine here (after watching the sun set over the Arno [all the heart eyes emojis]) and they offer the same great wines we tasted at the winery (that Super Tuscan Particolare is something I could drink all day) plus some very good cocktails. The staff is also extremely friendly, so it’s a great way to try delicious wine if you can’t make it all the way out to Chianti.
Mercato Centrale
Mercato Centrale is a food lover’s paradise. The bottom floor is an amazing market, with stands overflowing with fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh cuts of meat, fresh fish, dried and fresh mushrooms, fresh and dried pasta, olive oils, vinegars and everything truffled you can imagine.
But upstairs is a religious experience. It reminded me a lot of Eataly (and there’s a small Eataly section inside), but it’s basically a huge food court, with stations for pizza, pasta, panini, roast meats, wine, coffee, vegetables, and anything else food-related you can think of. We got lampredotto* sandwiches from here one day, paninis and coffee another day, and bought all of our food-related souvenirs here. If you’re looking to pick up some olive oil or pasta or cheese to bring back, definitely check out Mercato Centrale.
*Lampredotto is a Florentine specialty, made with the fourth stomach of a cow. The meat is chopped and boiled with tomatoes, onions, garlic and spices, then piled high on a crusty roll (which is moistened with the cooking water) and topped with a parsley-garlic sauce and hot chili sauce. The meat wasn’t terribly flavorful and I didn’t love the consistency — the sauces really made the sandwich. I’ll pat myself on the back for trying it, but I can’t say that I want to try it again …
Coquinarius
This wine bar was literally around the corner from our hotel, and we had a lovely meal here our first night in Florence. It’s got great salads (you’d be surprised by A. how few green things are on the menu in Rome and B. how quickly you will miss said green things) and their pear-Gorgonzola ravioli were the rare highly-touted item that lived up to its reputation.
While this wasn’t the best meal we had or the most innovative food, this is a cute little spot in the center of the city with decent prices and very good food, so it’s worth visiting. Try the wild boar carpaccio if you go.
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